Gamer's Thumb: 'Kingdom Hearts' series will make you relive your childhood

"Kingdom Hearts HD 1.5 ReMIX" brings to life even more the original "Kingdom Hearts" game and "Chain of Memories" game in this PlayStation 3 remake.

Sometimes, you come across a game that changes your very core - a game that takes you on a journey of complete imaginary bliss.

For me, that game is "Kingdom Hearts" as well as all the games in the series that follow it.

The series revolves around Sora, a teen boy who wields the power of the keyblade and visits Disney worlds such as Winnie the Pooh's 100-Acre Woods and Aladdin's Agrabah to stop evil forces from opening the door to Kingdom Hearts.

Of course, Sora can't do it all alone; he has the help of his friends Donald Duck and Goofy.

I know the series sounds goofy (pun intended), but the game actually has very intricate role-playing game plots.

If you're a fan, then you likely know all about the series.

You'll also know the games are being replayed by fans in anticipation of one day hearing the release date for the long-awaited third installment, "Kingdom Hearts III."

Like any gamer, the announcement trailer last year made me geek out and brought all those old feelings of happiness to the forefront once again.

Until more news is released, I have plenty to keep me busy. Last week, I stopped by GameStop and purchased several games, including "Kingdom Hearts HD 1.5 ReMIX," which includes "Kingdom Hearts Final Mix" and "Re: Chain of Memories."

"Final Mix" is a fuller version of the original "Kingdom Hearts," and "Re: Chain of Memories" is the card-based battle system game that links "Kingdom Hearts" and "Kingdom Hearts II" together.

Confusing, right?

What was more confusing was when "Kingdom Hearts" was released in 2002, it was an instant hit, but the developers went loony and released the sequels on various other gaming systems and in weird orders.

The entire shuffle lost me.

Because of that, "Re: Chain of Memories" is the one game I haven't played that, to me, matters when it comes to moving the story forward.

Though I consider myself a fan of the series, life and work got in the way of buying the game earlier (stupid adulthood).

Until now, that is.

In the coming weeks, I'll embark on yet another journey with these Disney friends, and I don't feel one ounce of shame.

Give the series a try if you haven't, and I can guarantee you'll feel like a kid again.

What favorite video game would you like to see remastered? Contact J.R. at 361-580-6504, jrortega@vicad.com or follow him on twitter @j_r_ortega.

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Kingdom Hearts series

Just one look at this timeline, and you'll realize just how many games have been released that are side stories to the main games, which are in bold. The other eight installments, though there are plenty, were released on a variety of platforms from Nintendo DS to PlayStation Portable. Some criticized losing the fan base for jumping the popular game to different platforms.